William Beach, the former Trump-appointed BLS commissioner, expressed skepticism that Antoni or any BLS commissioner would actually cease the collection and publication of monthly jobs data, in an interview with TPM. The report is mandated by federal law, and suspending its publication would require an executive order.

EJ Antoni, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is no longer considering suspending the monthly jobs report — one of the most crucial and historic measurements of US economic activity — after proposing the unprecedented action during an interview that published Tuesday.